How do I find a therapist?

[ohmama]

Are there different kinds of therapists? What are some of the titles they have? I don't want to just look in the phone book. I want to get the best I can find. Is a therapist and a counselor the same thing? If not what's the difference?

[catseye]

GOOD questions!! Unfortunately I cant help!

We found our councellor and psychologist (I think that is what she is called ARGH) through recommendations of sd's primary care physician... So far we are very happy with them...

I am sure someone knows the technicalities here though! Good luck in your search, you are wise to check things out first....

cat

[mctavish23]

Hi,

Excellent question. There are different kinds of therapists with different degrees , training and techniques. If you are looking for your child, then look for numbers of local community mental health center or for private practice(s), and ask who specializes in kids and if they have expertise in ADHD or whatever you're dealing with.
Whoever you call should have a brochure on their services. If not, that would not make a good impression with me. When you call in, you could ask for some background info like degree, licensure, # ofyears working at that place, etc.

I've said this before but it bears repeating; good therapists are more often born than educated. So the person's degrees don't matter as much as the rapport you establish between therapist and client. There are many many outcome studies that show that the relationship(rapport) is the most significant determining factor in success or failure of therapy.
If you cannnpt find what you're looking for you could lookup the phone # of your state(assuming you're in the US) or province psychological association. They're almost always in the state capital. Hopefully , they have an 800 # too. When you do contact them , ask if they have a statewide referral service.

The next thing is what type of problem you're seeking help for. One of the things I learned this summer at a week long ADHD conference is that only behavior modification works as a therapy for hyperactivity ( not talking about meds here).Other things that have been traditionally used lke Play therapy, Cognitive- Behavioral therapy( how you think effects the way you feel ), and social skills training don't work due to the inability to self regulate and then perform (react) appropiately. The structure afforded by the bheavior mod program helps them respond to specific instructions, in a setting which is much more likely to give positive feedback or rewards.While we're on the sbuject, please remember that a reward is Not a bribe. With a bribe you get something out of what the other person did but a reward simply says " good job."

I wish you much luck in finding a good therapist. Take care.

mctavish23( Robert)

[1mom]

a few other options in finding the right therapist are:
check with your local area CHADD organization. there is a group in most large cities (they meet at libraries or for-public-use facilities).
there is also the new ADD National Resource Center. it is in washington, has toll free number, a huge lending library, and a mega resource listing for coaches, therapists, doctors, and all other adhd related professionals listed state by state. you can investigate online at: www.addresources.org/
best wishes and do update how things are going!
prayers,
1mom

[Amsmom]

Sorry mctavish, I disagree with the lack of a brochure on services being unfavorable for a therapist. Anyone can have a brochure made up. The best way to find a good therapist is by personal referrals. I realize we may not always have that option, but if available, I'd take that over a brochure any day. Brochures are often a marketing technique and no real look at the professionalism of the therapist. I recommend asking a dr that you already respect, ie, pediatrician, psychiatrist or neurologist. Also, 1mom's suggestion of CHADD is another good source.

Some of the titles therapists could have are: psychologist, licensed clinical social worker, mental health therapist, marriage and family therapist. A therapist and a counselor usually perform the same service, but their credentials may be different.

[mctavish23]

Hi,

TY 4 the feedback Ann.Your point is well taken. What I said was that it would not make a good (first)impression. By no means does that imply or have anything to do with a therapist's abilities. I'd simply like to see what they have to offer. Most private practice therapists in the States have some type of handout to give, and virtually all community mental health centers provide more than that. Now that the new Federal confidentiality law: Health Information Patient Portablity Act (HIPPA) is out and in force, all healthcare facilities and practitoners must provide more comprehensive info on confidentiality. In addition, its ethically required in the States for Licensed Psychologist's to have their specific Areas of Competence and the Clients Bill of Rights posted along with their license.
I do see what you're saying tho and I agree that a lack of written info doesnt have anything to do with competency.

One thing to remember, and this is very important, in the States,all professional licensing boards are there for the protection of the consumer, i.e., you. So, if you have a question or concern about a particular licensee of that board you can contact them to see if there have been any substantiated complaints or corrective actions taken.

Ann, you did touch on the most important thing in the way of finding a new therapist and that is ...word of mouth. Nothing beats that that I know of.
So, I wish you luck in finding a good /new therapist.

Take care (mctavish23)

[ohmama]

Thank you very much to everyone who responded. I have a lot more to go on now and will feel more like I know where I'm going in my search.

Mctavish, your response was brilliant as usual. We are so lucky to have you on this board!!!

[Amsmom]

Just a little correction re HIPAA. It is actually the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.

[AustinsMom]

Another thing to consider, is the educational level of the person you are seeing. In general, social workers and counselors have a masters degree. Psychologists sometimes practice with masters (usually called liscensed professional counselors) but most have PhD's. The level of training is not a guarantee that they are good, but is something to consider.

The other question is how many kids do they see? If I was looking for someone, I'd like to see at least half of their caseload is children.

And I'd heartily agree with Mctavish that the most important thing is that your child "clicks" with the therapist, and that is something that is hard to measure. I'd think it would be good to meet with them first and get an idea if you like them.

Good luck; hope you find someone good.

[swmom]

Ask your pediatrician or neurologist for a referral. They usually have a handle on who's good. Good luck.

[mctavish23]

All excellent remarks and ty4 the correction:) If you've dealt with it, it's a pain in the butt( but a necessary one).
I'd like to commend ya'll for the level of expertise mixed with caring and compassion everyone shows here.
Thanks for the great feedback.

mctavish23(Robert)

[mctavish23]

Oh one more thing.... Minnesota, where we live was the last state in the US to license Master's level psychologist's as Licensed Psychologists. That required the MA level psychologist's to pass the national exam(EPPP) at the same level as the PhD's. The law changed in 1993 and all the MA's were grandfathered in as LP's, with no distinction as to degree. The PhD's can do certain things here that the MA's cant; most notably Commitment Evals and SSI evals. Also, PhD's can see Medicaid and Medicare patients, whereas MA's cant.

The big issue here remains managed care, but don't get me going on those guys...lol.
Thanks again.

mctavish23

[shelli]

Hello everyone!
I am new to this board. I have a question? If you take your child to a counselor, can they prescribe meds. I need therapy and meds for my 7 yr old daughter. Also she is on medicaid. So what type of mental health professional am I looking for?
shelli

[Amsmom]

Hi Shelli,
Welcome to the forums!! I hope you got the personal message I sent you! You have come to the right place.

Medication can only be prescribed by psychiatrists, neurologists or pediatricians, not mental health counselors. Have you already had your daughter evaluated and received a diagnosis for her? Any of the doctors I mentioned can do this. Some school programs can help you get your daughter evaluated, but can take time based on waiting lists. Some psychologists can do assessments, but can't prescribe meds.

A good place to start would be with your daughter's pediatrician. Tell him/her of your concerns and, if they don't evaluate for ADHD, ask for a referral.

Do you have a Medicaid case manager? If so, they should be able to provide you with a list of eligible doctors. If you don't have a case manager, call your local
Medicaid office for a list of doctors.

Good luck, Shelli. We are all here for you.

[shelli]

Amsmom,
Thank you for the welcome to the site! Brenna was diagnosised a year ago at the University of Iowa clinics. She was diagnoised with adhd (comb.), and ODD, and Anxiety. We had insurance then and she was diagnosised by a child psych. in the pediatric child psych. clinic. We live in Illinois and they do not accept Illinois public Aide. Currently she is being treated by our Family practice clinic where she sees a pediatric nurse practitioner. We love her and she has seen Brenna since she was born. I tried taking Brenna to an adult psych who sees kids but it was not a good thing. She tore into Brenna at the first session and Brenna was in tears and so was I. She first said maybe there was nothing wrong with Brenna and then after arguing with her for a good hour she said maybe she is bipolar and told me she is very bright. Then handed me a pack of remeron and said maybe this will help her sleep. At this time she was on zoloft and tennex. I added the remeron and the teacher called me after a couple of days and said Brenna had no idea what was going on, she said it was like she was drugged. I called my Dr.'s office and she had me start weaning her off all the meds. We started over with ritalin which she has tolerated well, with no increase in anxiety. The ODD and anxiety need to be addressed now. The nurse practitioner said she only felt comfortable prescribing prozac for her anxiety. We are on day six of the prozac and we have not had any bad side effects but no change in anxiety or sleep. Brenna is afraid to be alone or sleep alone. Some times she will not even use the restroom alone. The bipolar is always in the back of my mind. I wonder if she should not be on different meds. I don't know that prozac was the best choice with as severe as her anxiety is. She has also been on imipramine and straterra and they both caused increased anxiety and she was very emotional, cried alot. I called a place about an hour from here and they take Illinois public aide. The lady said their dr.'s take public aide but the counslers do not. I am a assuming that by dr.s she meant psychiatrists, since it is a mental health clinic. Does that mean she will get meds. and no counseling? I do have a case worker. I saw her today and asked about it and she said she did not know, I would have to call around. Big help huh? Some of the things Brenna has done is bust out her bedroom window, try to jump out of the car, and she use to hit me and go into fits of rage but that seems to have settled a little bit. She is doing wonderful in school and the teacher says she is good. Home is s whole different ball game. They say she is very quite at school. Sorry this is so long. If you have any advice let me know!!!!
shelli